Now back to where we were in Revelation! We are in the middle of the 7 trumpet judgments. After Jesus opened the 7th seal of the scroll and heaven stopped in silence for half an hour, then we saw the first 4 trumpet judgments unleashed on the earth. The next three are even more severe.
Rev
8:13-9:12 13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in
midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of
the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other
three angels!”
The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I
saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given
the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened
the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The
sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And
out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like
that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told
not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only
those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They
were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five
months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a
scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people
will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will
elude them.
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On
their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled
human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their
teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like
breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of
many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had
tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to
torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over
them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and
in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
This 5th
judgment is so severe that people seek death (vs 6). However, in God’s
sovereignty, they will not be able to escape their pain through death. I think
that is His grace. The people experiencing the pain might not think so, but He
is giving them yet another chance to turn and respond to Him before they do die
and it is too late.
God will
also graciously spare those who have His seal on their forehead (see chapter 7
and the devotional from 3/20/25). Those with God’s seal will not experience
this judgment like the people around them (vs. 4). What a gracious, detailed
and Sovereign God we serve!
Jesus is
not only worthy to open the scroll and unleash judgment, but He is worthy to withhold
judgment from His sealed children! Are you one of His children? If so, how will
you praise Him for His grace today?
